The present invention relates to pierced earrings and to the manner of securing an earwire to the body portion of the pierced earring.
Generally, the pierced earring construction as embodied in the present invention relates to hoop-type earrings which are formed in a generally circular configuration and that include free ends that are spaced from each other. An earwire is connected to one of the free ends and bridges the space between the free ends for mounting the pierced earring on the ear of a wearer.
Prior to the instant invention, the earwire of the hoop-type earring was usually secured in pivotal relation on a free end thereof by the forming of a loop on the pivot end of the earwire, the loop receiving a pivot pin that extended through the body portion of the earring at the free end thereof. Thus, in this prior known hoop-type earring, the loop of the earwire was pivotally mounted on a pivot pin; and, although the earwire in such prior known constructions was pivotal in the manner required, it was also usually loosely fitted, which resulted in undue lateral shifting thereof. This not only caused difficulty in locating the free end of the earwire in place during mounting of the earring on the ear of the wearer, but oftentimes the undue lateral shifting of the earwire resulted in dislodgment or breaking of the earwire from the pivot pin.
In some of the less expensive types of hoop earrings, a slot was formed in a free end of the hoop through which the pivot end of the earwire extended. Here again it was difficult to prevent lateral shifting of the earwire, which rendered it more difficult to attach the earwire in place during the mounting thereof on the wearer's ear. Other slotting techniques have also been utilized for hoop-type earrings of the piercing variety; and in all such earrings, it was difficult to prevent lateral shifting of the earwire during the mounting thereof on the wearer's ear. Frequently, undue lateral shifting of the earwire with respect to the body portion to which it was pivotally connected caused the earwire to become disconnected from the pivot position thereof.